Data protection

The council does have a detailed Data Protection Policy however, this page sets out the basis upon which the council handles your personal data; your rights; and how to contact the council if you have any concerns. 

Data controller/ data protection officer 

For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR') and the Data Protection Act 2018 South Staffordshire District Council of The Council Offices, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, South Staffordshire WV8 1PX is a “controller" of your personal data.

Our data protection officer is Lorraine Fowkes. She can be contacted by writing to the above address or by email: dpo@sstaffs.gov.uk 

The principles 

The council is legally obliged to comply with the six data protection principles set out in the GDPR when handling your personal data.

We will ensure that we: 

a) use your personal data lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner; 

b) collect your personal data for specified explicit and legitimate purposes. We will not use your personal data for incompatible purposes. 

c) collect adequate and relevant personal data and just what is needed; 

d) personal data is accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date; 

e) keep it in a form which permits identification of you for no longer than is necessary and, 

f) use your personal data in a manner that ensures appropriate security. We will act appropriately to prevent unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. 

Collection and use 

We will use information that identifies you that you provide to us via this web site or by visiting our offices or by corresponding with us by phone, e-mail or otherwise.

It is not possible to detail all the categories of information that individuals provide to the council, but it could include a name, contact details, information we need to provide a service to you, information you provide as part of a complaint, financial and credit card information, photographs etc.

Due to the range of services provided by the council, it is not possible to set out here all the potential uses of personal data.

The council does, however, handle benefit claims, deal with housing queries, operate leisure centres, provide waste services, administer the planning regime etc.

We may also, on occasion, use your personal data to test the effectiveness of the council's systems. 

It should be clear when we collect information from you why we have requested it and the purposes we will use the information for.

You can be assured that the council will not use your information for any purpose other than one you would expect.

Sometimes you are legally obliged to provide information to the council, or it may be a contractual requirement or information needed to enter a contract with us.

We will always tell you what the potential consequences are if you fail to provide information to us. For instance, we may be unable to provide a service to you or investigate a complaint properly etc. 

Your rights 

You have certain rights as regards your personal information.

Briefly, these are as follows: 

To be informed 

When we collect your personal data (or have it passed to us) we will tell you why we have your information; how we can lawfully deal with it; who we might share it with, how long we might keep it for etc.

We provide this information through a ‘Privacy Notice'. 

A right of access 

If you ask us in writing, we will tell you whether we are processing your personal data.

We will then tell you why we are processing your data, the categories of data concerned, who we might have shared it with etc. We will also provide a copy of the personal data to you. 

A right to rectification 

If you feel that we hold inaccurate information about you then you have the right to ask us to correct it. 

A right to erasure of your personal data 

You can ask the council to erase your personal data.

Typically, this will be where your personal data is no longer needed by the council or where we are processing your personal data with your consent, you withdraw consent and there is no other legal ground for the processing. 

A right to restrict our processing 

You have a right to restrict our processing of your personal data for instance if you dispute the accuracy of the personal data, we hold upon you. 

Your right to object 

If we process your personal data in the public interest or in the exercise of our official authority, then you may have a right to challenge this. 

Marketing 

If you have previously consented to receive marketing material from the council but now no longer wish to receive the same, you can ask us to stop sending them. 

Please note that the above rights are not absolute. 

The council can say no to your request. For full details of rights, grounds to exercise them and the exemptions available to the council please see articles 12 to 23 of the GDPR. 

If you wish to exercise a right, please put your request in writing to our data P

protection officer. The council will answer your request within a month. 

Data processors 

If the council passes your personal data on to an outside body with a request that they deal with it in a particular way, they may be a data processor.

If they are, then the council will take steps to ensure they meet their legal obligations including keeping your personal data safe. 

Data breaches 

The council does all it can to keep your personal data confidential, available for use and intact.

However, if there should be a breach of your personal data such as its destruction, loss, alteration etc. then, if there is a risk of harm to you, the council will report matters to the Information Commissioner's Office.

We will tell them what has happened; how many people are affected; what the likely consequences are and what we are doing to make things better. In certain circumstances we will also provide this information to you. 

Complaints 

If you are unhappy with the way the council has handled your personal data, then please speak with the service area concerned or our data protection officer.

Please note, however, that you do have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.